Spotting board attachment



April 30, G C SHOOP vE1' AL SPOTTING BOARD ATTACHMENT Fild Dec? 28, 194s G00 .f//g 4 INVENToR @l L /V El' 1575/00@ Patented Apr. 30, 1946 2,399,576 Y sroTTrNe nonno' ATTACHMENT vGlen C. Shoop, San Diego, and Eldon L. Tripp,

. Ocean Beach,v Calif.

Application December 28, 1943, Serial No. 515,936 2 Claims. I (etes-2,40)

The present invention relates to improvements in garment cleaning apparatus and has reference more particularly to the art of dry cleaning.

It is customary, when dry cleaning silk, wool, worsted, flannel and similar materialsto remove soiled spots by the well known spotting process, which embodies the local application by hando a solvent over the soiled area.

It has been found that in carrying out such a "spotting process, rings are formed around Ythe spot Where the solvent has been applied when the solvent dries, thus leaving a noticeable line of demarcation'between the untouched area of the material and that portion of the material to which the solvent has been applied.

It is, therefore, the primary object of our invention to provide a suction means for removing the solvent and the absorbed foreign material from the material during the spotting" operen tion, thereby avoiding the spreading of the foreign material and the drying of the solvent on the fabric.

A further object is 'to provide a solvent and foreign material extractor unit that can be readi-. Vly and easily attached to one end of a spotting board, `and this without necessitating any material alterations of the spotting board.

A further Objectis to provide a spotting board attachment that includes a means for concentrating the suction in the center of the suction chamber, to substantially coverwthe area of the soiled spot in the fabric undergoing spotting A still further object is to provide a device of the above mentioned character that can be readily and easily assembled and disassembled and due to its simplicity can be manufactured and sold inexpensively.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjuction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing forming a part of this specication, and wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spotting board showing our invention attached thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the device attached, with parts shown in section;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

In the drawing, the numeral I designates a spotting board supported on the standard 2, mounted on the base 3. A glass top 4 covers the wooden board I and provides a smooth surface upon which the hand spotting operation is carried out in the usual manner.

Our device is adapted to be attached at the smaller end of the spotting board and comprises an open top suction chamber or casing 5. This chamber Aincreases gradually in depth toward its larger inner `end wall 6. the outer end of this casing being rounded, as clearly villustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing.

A pair of attachinglugs or plates 'I extend from the sides of the larger inner end portion of the suction chamber 5 for disposition against the respective sides ofthe wooden spotting board I. Suitable screws 8 or the like extend through these lugs for securing the attachment rigidly on the smaller end of the spotting board.

The device is attached to the end of the spot ting board in such manner as to space the inner end wall 6 from the adjacent end of the spotting board and the lugs 'l are notched out as at 'E' for a purpose to be presently described.

A substantially circular shaped suction nozzle S, in the nature of a ring, is secured in the centrai portion of the chamber 5, the bottom of this nozzlejb'eing closed by the bottom of the casing while the open t'op of this suction nozzle is disposed below the plane ofthe upper edge of the sidewalls of the' casing'or chamber y5.

AAn' outlet opening I0 is formed in the side wall of the suction nozzle nearest the enlarged inner end of the casing and, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 4, the outlet opening is of transversely elongated design. A conduit I I extends from the outlet opening I0 through the inner lower portion of the casing for disposition beneath the outer end portion of the spotting board I.

A suction pipe I2 extends longitudinally beneath the spotting board I, the rear end thereof having communication with a downwardly extending vacuum line I3 that leads to any suitable vacuum producing means (not shown).

The adjacent abutting ends of the conduit II and the suction pipe I2 are connected together by a suitable threaded .coupling I4. By arranging the suction pipe I2 against the underface of the spotting board, it will not interfere with the placing of garments over the spotting board when carrying out the spotting operation or the ready removal of the garment from the spotting board.

A perforated baille plate I5 is snugly yet removably tted within the suction chamber, the depending rim I6 thereof engaging hat against the inner faces of the sides and ends of the chamber and being of such depth that its lower edge will contact the bottom of the chamber. This foraminous baille plate will thus be supported in slight vertical spaced relation to the top of the suction nozzle 9 as shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawing. The entire area of the baille plate is formed with a multiplicity of openings I1.

A screen I8 mounted in a iianged frame I9 ts over the open top of chamber 5 and the foraminous baiile plate I5 mounted in the suction chamber. The inner end Wall of the frame I9 ts in the notches l of the lugs 1, so that the u-pper face of this screen will lie substantially flush with the upper surface of the glass top 4 of the spotting board.

A piece of absorbent cotton material -20 is disposed over the entire face of the perforated baille plate I5 and is clamped thereover by the screen I8 and its frame I9. The purpose of this covering 2U is to absorb the chemicals used in the spotting operation as well as collect all foreign matter from the fabric undergoing spotting.

The screen I8 will prevent the fabric or garment from coming in contact with the filtering and absorbing material 20.

In use, after the fabric or garment has undergone the spotting treatment on the spotting board I, the garment is placed on the screen I8 with the treated spot positioned directly over the suction nozzle 9. The suction created in the suction pipe, conduit, nozzle and chamber, respectively, will not only tend to draw olf all of the solvent that has been applied to the garment, but will also remove the foreign material along with the solvent and Such foreign material will be caught by the 'layer of cloth '20. In carrying out this solvent removing action, the suction will be concentrated to the area of the spot on the garment that has been treated by reason of the ring shaped nozzle. In addition, air in the' suction chamber around the nozzle will tend to dry the area of the fabric directly outside of the' wetted spot. In thismanner, the solvent will be entirely withdrawn from fabric or garment as will also the foreign material, thus avoiding the spreading of the foreign material and the drying of the solvent on the fabric or garment and the formation of objectionable rings.

While we have disclosed the device as constituting a separate attachment for spotting boards, it is also comprehended constructing a spotting board with our invention built into the same.

While we have shown the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. The combination with a spotting board, of a solvent removing unit attached to the outer end thereof, said unit including an open top casing, means for attaching the same against the outer end of the spotting board, a suction nozzle arranged in the casing and spaced from the Walls thereof, the top of the suction nozzle being open, a suction pipe communicating with the nozzle through the casing, a perforated baiile plate removably fitted in said casing for disposition over the suction nozzle in vertical spaced relation thereto, and a screen removably clamped over the top of the casing and covering said perforated baiile plate.

2. The combination with a spotting board, of a solvent removing unit attached to the outer end thereof, said unit including an open top casing, plates extending from opposite sides of the inner end portion of the casing and secured against the respective side edge faces of the spotting board, an open top suction nozzle arranged within the casing substantially centrally thereof and spaced from sides and ends thereof, a suction pipe communicating with the suction nozzle and extending outwardly through the inner end portion of the bottom of the casing, said pipe extending longitudinally of the spotting board and secured against the under face thereof a perforated baille plate removably tted Within the casing for disposition over the suction nozzle, an absorbent mem-ber covering the upper face of the perforated baille plate, and av foraminous clamping member removably mounted over the absorbent material and firmly holding the absorbent member at upon said baffle plate.

GLEN C. SHOOP. ELDON L. TRIPP. 

